Chapter 2 Un

I snapped out of my daydreams when the phone on my table rang. Automatically reaching up to smoothen my hair, I cleared my throat and composed myself before picking up.

"Sir?"

"Iyana, can you come in here with my schedule?" he said over the phone and I felt my heartbeat speed up as it usually does whenever I hear him talk. Girl, you will have a heart attack one of these days if you are not careful one of these days.

"No problem Sir." I replied before disconnecting. Quickly getting the schedule he requested, I made my way to his office. Immediately I opened the door to his office, his scent, that scent that is uniquely his in the universe washed all over me. I have had a hopeless crush on my boss since I started working here but I know I'm not his type of girl. I have seen the girls that troop in and out of his office and we're definitely different. They're blond, I'm not. I have the usual African thick black hair. They're tall and model slim, I'm average and not slim. I'm big, I'm bold, I'm large, I'm fat, whichever word works for you. The list goes on. Even if I wasn't all those things, he has a strict rule about coworkers being in a relationship. It was a no no.

You're not coworkers. He's literally your employer. He pays your salary. You work for him not exactly with him... My mind supplied and I nodded. True. Not coworkers but still work in the same complex. So hello 4 years of unrequited love.

I am ashamed of myself. Who pins after a guy for 4 good years after getting out of a shittrap in life? You'd think I'd be grateful and stay away from the male folks but nooooo. I just went ahead and liked the man with eyes as unique as his dog just because his dog loved him. Nice. Well liking him hadn't really been difficult because let's face it. Leo Harper is an amazing person. He's friendly and so nice and his employees thought he was the best boss ever. I thought so too. And his perfect gentleman personality was one of the things that got the female employees going to the point that they wanted to fall into his bed with their legs wide open because If he's such a gentle man like this, imagine how good a lover he'd be. He seems like the sort of man tat will take his time and explore your body and pay so much attention to your pleasures that you'd probably die from cumming so hard. Their words and not mine. He had a fan club he didn't know of.

Wow. Thank you for putting that image in my head ladies. I thought that day as I sat in that bathroom stall and waited for them to leave. I wasn't exactly looking forward to sleeping with a man anytime soon but those women put an image in my head and I couldn't stop wondering what it'd be like to have a nonselfish lover, to have someone that will pay attention to your pleasures and not just his.

I shook my head to clear the images that began playing out in my mind.

"Sir you have a meeting with the managing director of..." I was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. He nodded towards a seat for me to sit down as he took the call. "Hey Danica."

I settled into a seat and tried not to listen because it was not my business at all. I had no business listening to his phone call. I looked around the room and then at him. It was a video call actually and he looked too damn happy. The sort of smile you give to that special person and not everyone.

"Say hi to Bubbles." I heard the Danica person say. She sounded sweet. Bubbles barked a number of times and he laughed before saying hey girl. Hope you've been good around the cats."

"She's scared of Blinky." Danica called out.

"Everyone's scared of Blinky. Keith is Blinky's bitch. She is bossy as hell....and she's mean too."

"She's not mean. She just likes having her way. By the way your Shiba Inu is ready to go home." Danica replied and I shifted in my seat. I didn't know he was getting another dog. I think dog lovers are amazing.

"Ohhh. That's awesome. Is Bubbles used to her now?"

"It took a while but yes."

"Thank Goodness."

"Thank you for adopting Peaches Leo. I know I try to make the shelter as cool and homey as possible but she did need a home and you're so sweet for taking her in."

"Chill Danica. She is too beautiful for a shelter. And Bubbles needs a partner. I am too old to keep up with her energy all the time." he said as he rubbed his chest playfully. He wasn't that old. 33 isn't old.

I flipped through the diary I had in my hands and doodled on the last page. "Be good Bubbles. I'll pick you up and take you home soon." I heard him call out and some howls and some byes and some meows in the background, there was silence indicating that he was done. I looked up and saw him using his phone. Then he looked at me.

"Sorry about that. Bubbles has been away for a while. Has to get used to her new buddy." he said and I smiled politely. He is friendly but I didn't know how to be that friendly without crossing the professional line. So I just remained professional. He had told me a number of times to loosen up but I didn't know how to.

"She's a good girl." I replied dumbly and he laughed and I felt my head swell with embarrassment. I always said that. For 4 years now all I did was do my work well and say that Bubbles is a good girl.

"So about that schedule, cancel my meetings for Friday.... That's tomorrow right?"

"Yes Sir."

"Yes. Cancel them and reschedule. Also, call the flower shop and send flowers to this address with this message. I may need you to work overtime today."

"Okay Sir." I replied while making a mental note to call my family.

"That will be all for now." he said with a nod before going back to whatever he was doing on his laptop and I left.

The note read "Happy birthday to a very beautiful woman. I love you to the moon and back and will forever cherish you❤"

I swallowed. It isn't like he knew. Even if he knew, it isn't like he cares. Iyana, you are officially stupid.

Leo's POV

Turning off the ignition right in front of Keith's house, I reached behind the seat for the bag that had the coloring books and crayons I promised Rayne I'd get for her, I made my way to the door. It was 6:23pm and I was glad I ended up not staying as late as I thought I would have to. I smiled a little when I remembered the look of relief that passed my secretary's face when I told her she could leave by 6pm. Iyana is a good secretary. She works very well and she has a good heart. The only problem is the fact that she's too professional. 4 years down the line she still acted like it was her second day at work. Well, it is good for some people. I found it a bit disconcerting because how can you not relax around someone after 4 years of him telling you to do so? So weird.

I knocked on the door and waited for someone to open the door. I used to walk in like I owned the place like 2 years after they got married because the place wasn't a home then and you hardly ever found Danica around the place until the day I walked in on Keith with his head buried between her legs after they already had their twins before little Rayne came along. Danica couldn't and didn't look at me for a month. From that day on, I learnt the art of knocking before entering the James household. I didn't need to see that.

I could hear Bubbles howl in there and then there was a whimper and scratches on the door and more howling. "Stop scratching the door Bubbles. Bad Bubbles. Bad!" I heard Danica say behind the door and Bubbles whimpered and the scratching stopped. Danica was Bubbles vet and Bubbles loved her so much more than she loved me because she always gave her treats and stuff after every visit to the vet and whenever they came visiting and whenever I dropped her off with them.

Immediately the door was opened, first thing I felt were paws on my chest and dog breath in my face as she barked and huffed in my face. I did laugh out loud when I leaned in for one of her sloppy licks. Two actually since she licked my licks. Bubbles had refused to learn the lesson of staying away from my lips. Okay four because I missed her too. "Hi Bubbles." I pushed the bag of crayons and coloring books into her arms and moved to pet Bubbles.

"She missed you." Danica supplied from where she was picking up dog toys and putting them in Bubbles' bag.

"Of course she did. I am her amazing human."

"You are amazing quite alright." she replied with a laugh and I finally pushed Bubbles away to look around. 'Where's the gang?"

"With my dad. Keith isn't back yet. He said he will be a bit late today."

I ahh-ed and okay-ed and followed her when she walked began walking away and made the follow me gesture. This woman has haunted my dreams for so long it was now a norm but she had no idea. Keith had no idea I still liked his wife as much as I did. I never told anyone the extent of how I felt about her because I had no business wanting my best friend's wife in that way. It was disgusting. I was disgusting but there was no helping how I felt.

She's nice, she's beautiful, she's homely, she loves animals, she's hot, she's so many things I want in a woman and more. So I was mad that Keith took this beautiful woman for granted at some point. Good thing he grew some brains along the line. Her next words broke my thoughts.

"Hi Peaches. Say hi to your hooman. You own him. He belongs to you. If you want to eat by 3am, wake him up. He's so sweet he won't say no." she said to the Inu Shiba that wasn't as big as Bubbles but wasn't a puppy either. She looks like a fox. Pretty.

"Hey Peaches." I said to the dog that was a bit reluctant to come closer. When I reached forward to pet her fur, Bubbles began snarling behind me and Peaches withdrew completely. .

"Sit Bubbles. Be nice." I said and she whined before sitting. It took a total of 5 minutes before Peaches finally sniffed my palm. "Who's a good girl? Peaches is." Bubbles whined. "Bubbles is also a good girl."

Danica laughed and left us to it. Peaches is a beautiful dog and I felt better knowing that his owner died and not that she was abandoned and abused. I heard the entrance door open and close and footsteps that sounded like Keith's and the Danica shrieked and laughed for whatever reason. That was obviously my cue to leave. I didn't want to see anything X-rated. Keith and I were flatmates in college, so I wasn't a stranger to his romps and stuff like that. However, the difference between then and now is that we were in college then but older now, those were just causal but this time he was fully committed to his wife and I wasn't interested in any of the girls from back then but I liked Danica. It felt like I was invading their privacy, so I quickly attached the leash to their respective collars and they came along willingly, Bubbles as active as ever pulling me faster than I wanted to walk.

Keith let go of Danica when my girls and I entered the sitting room and she disappeared into the kitchen to finish up what she was doing. I could smell dinner in the air and my stomach growled.

"Leo what's up?" he said with a grin when he put out his hand for a handshake.

"Where has that hand been?" I asked mockingly.

"Your ass. Sniff it." he replied with a bigger grin before pulling me into a bro hug and I laughed. Keith was amazing when he wasn't being a douchebag.

"Came to pick me up my ladies. Bubbles been gone for too long."

"Tsk tsk Lenny boy.You need to get laid."

"My sex life is fine, thank you very much." It really wasn't fine. It was dead but he didn't need to know that. No one did. He laughed and opened his mouth to say something but ewe cut short when Danica spoke.

"Have you had dinner Leo? We're going vegan tonight." Danica called out from the kitchen she disappeared into when I came out and Keith groaned. He hates vegetables. I chuckled at his misery. I had to go.

"No thank you! Supposed to have dinner with my mum. Today's her birthday."

"Shit. I forgot." Keith grumbled as he fished his phone out of his pocket probably to call my mum.

"She will have your head on a platter regardless of her love for you. See ya in the after life. RIP. Peace. I'm out. Bye Nica! Thank you for Peaches over here and for taking care of Bubbles. Have to run." and with that, I left.

It's funny how well Keith was taking the family way of life. I was known as the family guy back then and Keith was the manwhore and was proud of it. He planned on settling down at age 40 or 45 and I was the 29 or 30 guy. Funny how he was living the life they thought would be my life. I was genuinely happy for him even though deep down, I envied his life.

Well, life is unpredictable and sucks at the same time.